Rucka's writing and Fernandez's art " they're a lethal one-two punch. Come to think of it now, I was probably wrong up at the start " it's really hard to tell which one is the setup and which one is the knockout. But either way, "The Old Guard" #5 hits hard and it hits to hurt. This is a heavyweight coming to take the title.

"Over the Garden Wall" #17 is a surprisingly mature tale. And while Sjursen-Lien and Monlongo's work doesn't have to be read like that " a surface reading can stand on its own legs much like the fiddle-cat tends to defiantly stand on his " it just makes the story all the richer. This is about as perfect a parable you'll ever find in the form of four-color funny paper.

Seriously, the chest-burst in this issue is so visceral, I half-expected some kind of 4D effect where the page would feel wet to the touch and leave a red-stain on my fingertips.

Overall, "Mister Miracle" #1 is a majestic debut for this series. King's script carries weight, severity, and solemnity without ever feeling overbearing or overly grim. Gerads' art is a wonderfully raw and evocative match. The sketchy, almost experimental, vibe runs a gamut of different styles, all the while capturing and combining essences of Greg Smallwood and Michel Fiffe without ever feeling overt in doing so. It's not the prettiest book this year, but it might just be the most engaging one to look at.

"Redlands" #2 is luxuriating in that sickly sweet spot where you first feel the hair prick up on the back of your neck.

Honestly, nothing against "Lucifer" or "Darkness Visible," but when Bunn and Hurtt get together, there's just something that's so damned special.

Stay a while, and swim in Sejic's garden of underwater delights.

A more focused story is a great thing. But let's be serious, Greg Hinkle's art is otherworldly.

"Curse Words" #7 takes some massive strides in that regard " including the ultimate fate of Jacques Zacques " all while remaining one of the most visually arresting and continuously hilarious books out there.

Originally an 8, but any comic that makes Hawkman name-dropping Challengers of the Unknown sound so resoundingly triumphant definitely deserves a bump.

Pasetto and Cantamessa's story might not really be new, but Ketner's art is a revelation.

This is a wash-your-hands-after-putting-it-down kind of book. But with artwork this beautifully brutal, you won't want to put it down.

Theres also a mystical talking sword named Loyal Backstabber, which really just combines my two loves of clever wordplay and sentient weaponry.

Any comic that shows a drunken superhero slipping on his own action figure and concussing himself on a coffee table gets an 8.5. Thats just a fact.

Oh, it's damn funny too. Did I mention it's funny?

Bear puns and beatdowns, all wrapped in a nudist lumberjack aesthetic " granted, Shirtless does don pants by the end " that's the currency being traded here. Straight-forward in internal logic and ridiculous in execution, it's bloody amazing.

While Spencer plays it pretty tame this issue, I cant help but think Pepose and Santiago Jr. are biding their time before truly unleashing the homicidal psycho jungle cat.

Game Tip: If you're missing out on this comic, you're really missing out.

Chad Bowers, Chris Sims, and Ghostwriter X close out their quest in fine form. Wistful nostalgia blends with self-aware irreverence. Grounded, artistic restraint gets punctuated with epic bombast. The robbers get the score. The fellowship completes the quest. The boy gets the boy, maybe. It's about as fitting an ending as you can find.

Bro-dude zombies taking selfies " who wouldn't want to run them through with an excavator?

Really strong debut. This is a series to watch for.

Off to a great start. Tune in next month to see where it goes - same Shadow time, same Shadow channel.

"Big Trouble in Little China: Old Man Jack" is the perfect type of licensed comic. It's got the style and swagger of its parent, while very much remaining it's own beast. Nothing here is impenetrable " Jack proves that himself driving head-on into that fencing of hellfire. Overall, it's one spirited romp through the apocalypse.

Not what I expected after reading the first. But then again, the first wasnt what Id expected either.

Quite probably the easiest issue to read; quite possibly the most unsettling.

Worlds apart from the incendiary farce one might expect from Russell. But hes also never felt quite this focused.

Picking up steam and not looking back. This feels like the start of something big.

Cellular kung fu, zombie blacksmiths, mystic X-ray toasters " how's that for an all-new, all-different trinity.

Consistency wins the day. Seriously, this series is always fantastic.

When the smoke clears and the dust settles, this will easily be one of the best minis of the year.

High-octane, over-caffeinated insanity. So much fun.

It's a Brubaker-Phillips-Breitweiser joint: great art, seedy people, greasy jungle. And the faintest hint that the whole demonic plot may just be some figment in a twisted kid's head. Another round, please. And keep them coming.

A gut-punch exorcism punctuated by the sound effect "B'GON!" is probably the most perfect thing I'll see this week.

As the tensions rise and the Sharg hits the fan, Mech Cadet Yu keeps getting better and better.

Science punks kick science ass. Quantum teens are awesome.

Kurtis Wiebe and Owen Gieni follow through on their "Rat Queens" relaunch with another rowdy and raucous blast from Betty, Dee, Braga and the gang. And while it's great to see Wiebe slip so effortlessly back into the rhythm and humor and camaraderie of these women, it's Gieni who's becoming the real monster here.

Wasnt sure if I was totally on board for this after the first issue. But this one seals the deal.

Actually, no. I'm really wishing this series acts as a soft-launch for "Guardians of Galaxy," which follows the (mis)adventures of Star-Lord, Daredevil, Shocker, Black Cat, Old Man Logan and Abigail Brand as bouncers for a space-disco called Galaxy. Make mine Marvel" please.

Two issues in and only getting stronger.

I laughed, hard, but humor's pretty subjective. Either way, based on the sheer volume high- and low-brow jokes, it's hard not to applaud the effort.

Lets not say goodbye, lets say see you soon like, say, in a slick, oversized, hardcover.

Those expecting a sequel to the Snyder/Orlando/Rossmo joint will be disappointed. There's a reason this is "The Shadow/Batman" #1 and not "Batman/The Shadow Strikes Again." Orlando's myth-mining exuberance marries a fractured take on the dynamic duo with some deeper cuts from Dynamite's throwback stable of pulp serials. Timpano's art packs a gritty and acrobatic punch. And how the Shadow truly fits into it all, who knows?

Fantastic art, and a story that follows some typical beats. But knowing all the steps doesn't make the dance any less fun.

This is a very strong, very assured debut. Period. Lavalle and Smith set a monster on the warpath and tease just enough of the ethical ramifications that we're never quite sure which of the two leads is actually being referenced as the titular destroyer.

Im calling it now: at 3:57 this morning, Im waking up uneasily to that image of an oil jack pumping the life out of Frankensteins monster. Thanks Victor...Thanks Dietrich...

If Warren Ellis keeps writing like this, he should get an entire line. Wait, what...

Worth it just for the shot of Rocket slung up in a baby carrier. "I only ask" Don't let Quill see me like a baby."

Cates is right, though. A hungry baby can seem the devil sometimes.

Grand passions, noir-lequin romance. Gotta love it.

Crass and unapologetic, but undeniably funny.

But that's a pretty small gripe, in what's an otherwise excellent issue. It's got a moment or two where Cates and Estherren really let go – JV's version of a "workable compromise" (i.e. shotgunning the legs out from under Grandpa) makes me believe the man has a relatively skewed definition of a win-win scenario – but overall, it's a well-executed exercise in restraint. It's half-history lesson, half-dire prognostication. "Just one endless story of someone dying because someone else died," says Bartlett. Things might not be as hot as before, but Cates is still cooking.

Murd Blurdock " seriously, we need to see more of "the sentient without self-preservation."

You might want to stretch before picking this one up. It's a thick slab of comic, but well worth it.

After a very special episode, it's a rocky return to the regularly scheduled "Deathstroke."

Fantastic issue, in its own right. But as a lead in to the arc's finale? I've never been this excited to read a wedding not written by George R. R. Martin.

Back to the well for Brian Wood and once more unto the breach for Garry Brown. Bleak, yes. But great work from both.

An effective slow-burn. Arcudi and Fejzula stoke the coals in preparation for the final two issues.

Seriously, this was a really good issue.

"G.I. Joe" #8 sprints to its finish line with form, flash, and flourish. It never overstays its welcome, and it looks pretty damn good while doing it.

Jordan and Moustafa chamber a live round, for sure. But it will take at least one more issue to tell if theyll hit their mark.

You don't need all the pieces to fit together when you start a puzzle, right?

ommaso just rips through this issue while setting up his end game.

Artistically, this book is something special. And when slotted into a thick volume collecting the entirety of the series, it might even be a stand-out sequence. But as a single course in a meal that's being extremely drawn-out in the serving, things feel somewhat lacking.

Regardless of their execution, I am enjoying how DC is weaving together the overall Rebirth tapestry through these almost monthly crossovers. Its making the total event feel truly universal, without having to put the entire line on hold.

Definitely worth keeping up with, if only to see which side it ultimately leans toward.

Rossmos art is fantastic all around, but bonus points for finally getting the Batman Who Laughss sneer to feel more like the Joker and less like Judge Death.

What made for an entertaining one-shot feels more like hamburger horror than Hammer Horror.

This issue goes down like sorbet: Looks smooth. Tastes smooth. But you can't shake the feeling that something a little more satisfying is right on its way.

For better or worse, think of it as the Rebirth issue for Medusa and Black Bolt.

I really believe there's a solid bit of escapist, nano-tech espionage in here. DeCampi has a proven flourish when it comes to the old ultraviolence. But "Bankshot" #2 isn't there yet. It's fine if this story boils down to supersoldier done wrong " might not be reinventing chess, but people have done more with less " and if that's the case, then just let Chrisscross and Snakebite Cortez cut loose. They're clear and precise and inject their panels with a healthy dose of velocity. It's too bad they had to stop right as they were building up steam.

At least 30 pages of Lee Weeks is better than 24 pages of not-Lee Weeks.

There's little in the way of character motivation written into this series. And that's fine. If Robinson and Pacheco want "Cable" to be nothing more than a violent game of hopscotch from one disparate past to another, there are worse ideas out there. But they need to smooth out the execution and really ramp up the adrenaline to keep people biting on that hook.

If you come to the end of a book and the biggest unanswered question you have is Why am I reading this? you probably already have your answer.

A slow burn character study that's burning a little too slowly. Some uneven art put this at risk of blowing out before it can really catch.

Overall, its not bad; its just bland. So dont sneak off; just say, Thanks for a lovely evening, and go off into that good night.

What does it mean when a four-issue crossover went one issue too long?

Elmer Fudd: Year One isn't a comic anyone in their right mind asked for, but it's what we were so close to actually getting. And it was so close to actually working. Too bad close only counts in curling.

Theres no blatant reason to drop The Greatest Adventure, but theres no compelling reason to pull it either. That might be the most damning part of all.

Not bad, just bland. Really bland.